Services Programme Delivery Manager (f/m/d) German speaker

The Adaptavist Group

Köln

Hybrid

EUR 110,000 - 160,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

SmartRecruiters, Inc. seeks a Services Programme Manager (PgM) in a hybrid arrangement based in Cologne, Germany.

You will own a strategic portfolio of client-facing and internal programmes, align projects with organizational goals, and act as a trusted advisor to clients while coordinating with Sales and Delivery to drive growth. Using PM methodologies and ITIL practices, you will ensure profitable services delivery, govern cross-workstream initiatives, and foster continuous improvement across

Qualifications

Bilingual in German and English.
Advanced understanding of Project Management and Software Engineering methodologies (Agile, SAFe, Waterfall, PRINCE2 for Agile Scrum Master, Product Management).
Chairing strategic advisory meetings with clients and managing stakeholders at senior levels.
Experience with account management and Sales to support growth of accounts.
Experience with ITIL frameworks.
Strong relationship-building with clients and long-term engagement.
Experience gathering requirements and defining problem statements for clients.
Ability to manage large-scale programmes with multiple workstreams.
Proactive, persuasive, energetic personality.
Excellent communication and organisation skills.

Responsibilities

Defines, implements and manages the overall programme strategy across multi-workstream projects.
Manages budgets, risks, and timelines and reports to stakeholders.
Drives opportunities with Business Development and Sales to grow accounts.
Creates and maintains programme artifacts and governance plans.
Leads continuous improvement of delivery processes and PMO standards.
Coaches junior project managers and coordinators.

Skills

Bilingual German/English

PM methodologies

Stakeholder management

Account management

ITIL

Client relations

Requirements gathering

Large-scale PM

Team leadership

Proactive communication

SDLC knowledge

Pre-sales

Business development

Tools familiarity

Tools

Atlassian

GitLab

Monday.com

Job description

Full-time
Job Field: Project Management
Candidate Location: Germany

Job Description

The Services Programme Manager (PgM) hybrid position from Cologne owns a strategic portfolio of client-facing and internal related programmes and projects. Beyond managing plans, dependencies, risks, budgets, and stakeholders in multi-workstream engagements, the PgM is the most senior member of a strategic account. Sitting in a strategic seat, PgMs are tasked with becoming a trusted advisor to the client, understanding client requirements and helping drive conversations back to Sales and Delivery to support the growth of strategic accounts.

Using PM methodology and ITIL practices, the PgM will be the day-to-day senior representative of the Services team, interacting frequently with the client to ensure requirements are understood, expectations are met, and technical concerns and opportunities are addressed. The role ensures the profitability of the services delivered through rigorous governance, reporting, and continual improvement; and oversees the planning and execution of technology operational changes, support enhancements and maintenance to meet contractual needs and handle Incident Management.

In addition to being the key point of contact between their Services clients externally, the PgM will be responsible for working directly with the Services Delivery Teams as an internal client, to identify and drive continuous improvement and increase operational efficiency; collaborating closely with Business Development, Commercial Operations, Finance and Account Management to ensure the customer has an unparalleled customer experience.

They also may manage other services project managers within complex engagements and coach junior staff to elevate delivery standards across the organization.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

Services Project Management

Defines, implements and manages the overall programme strategy, ensuring all projects align with organizational goals across multiple projects and workstreams

Ensures all project deliverables meet the required quality standards and conform to company policies

Works closely with Business Development and the client to build out additional project opportunities

Creates and monitors programmes and project artifacts, such as and not limited to:

Level 0 through to Level 3 Plans

Earned Value Management (SPI / CPI)

Scope of work (Change Log tracking)

Executive level Risk, Issue & Opportunity Management

Tracks Benefit and Value Realization across programmes and projects

Ensures testing and deployment best practices adhered to throughout programme

Creates communications plans to ensure all levels of programme are informed

Coordinates and facilitates meetings/ceremonies with customers and internal teams

Ensures Service Level and Operational Level Agreements are managed and met, and leads potential dispute resolution around Service Level Agreements between Adaptavist and the client

Facilitates problem/incident management and change management as needed

Identifies, recommends and executes on areas for continual improvement for key service management processes and strategy, to ensure smooth running of services and high customer satisfaction

Plans and executes periodic business and innovation reviews to ensure key account retention and customer satisfaction

Financials and Reporting

Creates programme plans and burndown reports for clients and internal teams for status transparency.

Manages client project budgets, resourcing, and ensures accurate forecasting

Pulls together and clarifies Key Performance Indicators and costs

Reports on profitability and margins, in order to fulfil monthly accrual revenue and margin data for C-level executives

Supports decision-making through strategic reporting

Ensures commercial performance and controls revenue through effective pricing strategy development, margin control and revenue risk analysis.

Facilitates the payment process through invoice management and internal collaboration with the finance team

Conducts gap analysis and identifies opportunities for upsell/service improvement and revenue growth for existing service customers

Leadership

Embodies Consultative Mindset - client-focused, builds trust and seeks to drive value to customers

Defines procedures and best practices when change requests are required, leading the change control process

Supervises and coordinates the activities of the parties involved in the programme

Leads continuous improvement of delivery processes, templates, and PMO standards, contributing to lessons learned and knowledge management

Coaches and mentors junior project managers and coordinators to uplift delivery maturity

Partners with Account Management/Sales and the Delivery Team Leads through pre-sales support and account planning to successfully qualify, scope and propose optimal solutions for prospective Services customers

Educates internal staff on services, customer experience concepts, the PMO value proposition, and internal SOPs, ensuring smooth coordination across cross-functional teams

Builds the knowledge base of Adaptavist PMO through contributions to lessons learned logs

Acts as an advocate for external and internal clients, potential partners and industry players

Qualifications

Required

Bilingual in German and English

Advanced understanding of Project Management and Software Engineering methodologies (i.e., Agile, SAFe, Waterfall, PRINCE2 for Agile Scrum Master, Product Management etc.)

Chairing strategic advisory meetings with clients and managing stakeholders at senior levels

Experience with account management and Sales to support growth of accounts

Experience with ITIL frameworks

Skilled in building rapport, client trust, and developing long-term relationships

Has experience gathering requirements and defining problem statements for clients

Ability to manage large-scale projects and programmes with multiple workstreams

Ability to work seamlessly in a team-oriented environment

Ability to handle a variety of tasks independently and efficiently

Proactive, persuasive, energetic personality

Detail oriented and clear communicator with superior organisation skills

Strong communication skills and confident in working with stakeholders at all levels

Experience in incident, problem and change management